From: Amy Stein-Milford, Deputy Director, Museum at Eldridge Street
212.219.0888 x201; 917.576.0956
Lost Synagogues of Europe
Postcards from the Collection of Frantisek Bányai
At a time when the desecration of Jewish cemeteries and cultural sites is front-page news, an exhibition at the 1887 Eldridge Street Synagogue provides historical perspective
Opening March 16 from 6 to 8 pm; on view through June 8
For Frantisek Bányai, a native of Prague, Czech Republic, collecting vintage postcards on Jewish themes is a way to connect with the past. Born in Slovakia to Auschwitz survivors, Bányai was raised during the Communist era with no Jewish education. Reflecting on the significance of his collection, Bányai says, "In addition to their authentic beauty, these postcards capture a sense of indelible grief. They reflect a world that was all but destroyed and that disappeared almost without a trace. Yet this world lives on in period photographs and postcards."
Beginning March 16, the Museum at Eldridge Street - housed in the 1887 landmark Eldridge Street Synagogue - will display a selection of Bányai's postcards in reproduction form. These images are just a portion of Bányai's collection, which dates from the last years of the nineteenth century through the years just before the start of World War II. The majority of the postcards depict synagogues in Germany, Hungary, Poland, Prague, Ukraine and other European countries that are no longer standing. Sadly, at a time when the desecration of cemeteries and other anti-Semitic acts is front-page news the exhibition takes on a more poignant resonance and reminds us of the precarious status of the Jewish people through the ages.
Organized geographically and thematically, the synagogue images focus on locales in Central and Eastern Europe. Jewish law does not prescribe a particular style for a house of worship, and these postcards reflect the diversity of synagogue design depending on the time and place in which they were built. They range from humble wooden structures in small towns to grand synagogues in large urban centers. The majority of these houses of worship were destroyed by the Nazis or others during the Second World War. A few, like the opulent Jubilee Synagogue in Prague, still stand and serve vibrant congregations.
Of particular note is the frequent appearance of the Moorish style featuring horseshoe arches, bulbous domes, and minaret towers. This style gained popularity in the mid to late eighteenth century, and some of these earlier European structures may have served as inspiration for the Eldridge Street Synagogue. The Moorish style harkened back to a time when Jews, Muslims and Christians lived peaceably together in Spain.
Other postcards show life in the communities that existed around these synagogues: families on their way to worship; men absorbed in prayer; portraits of Jews old and young; ghetto streets crowded with shoppers; greeting cards for the Jewish holidays; and traditional scenes from weddings and Jewish holidays.
These are the people who, generations ago, may have ventured across the ocean to the United States, settled on the Lower East Side and worshipped at a synagogue like Eldridge Street. These are the synagogues that may have been in the minds of the Eldridge Street immigrant founders and their German-born architects as they planned and built their grand new synagogue. Together they recall the flourishing Jewish communities of Europe and document a rich and colorful past.
We are grateful to Frantisek Bányai for sharing his collection, giving insight into the life of Jews in Europe a century ago, and into the memories of those who built and worshiped at the Eldridge Street Synagogue.
Exhibition Funders
The Museum at Eldridge Street is deeply grateful to The Zankel Fund, Goldie Anna Charitable Trust and the Jewish Museum in Prague, and to the following individuals who made generous contributions: Hiram Haddad, Evan Lazar, Robert Lewis, Mark Podwal and Rhoda M. Ribner.
Public Programs
The Museum at Eldridge Street will present two special public programs related to the theme of the Lost Synagogues of Europe exhibition.
Art in Heaven: Film and Music with Z.S. Rosenfeld and Elie Massias
Thursday, March 23 at 7 pm
$25 adults; $15 students and seniors
A unique, immersive experience in the Museum at Eldridge Street's landmark sanctuary. Against the backdrop of filmmaker Z.S. Rosenfeld's haunting footage of deteriorating synagogues in Europe, multi-instrumentalist Elie Massias will improvise and perform a real-time soundtrack.
Poyln: Concert with the Fleytmuzik Ensemble
Sunday, March 26 at 3 pm
$25 adults; $15 students and seniors
Some of the biggest names in klezmer pay tribute to the once vibrant Jewish community of Dubiecko, Poland, performing from a treasure trove of re-discovered Jewish music. With Adrianne Greenbaum, Michael Alpert, Brian Glassman, Pete Rushefsky, and Jake Shulman-Ment.
Secrets of the Synagogue - Building Tour
Thursday, April 6 at 7 pm
$30 per person - Includes wine reception; Space is limited and RSVP is required
Museum Deputy Director Amy Stein-Milford provides a behind-the-scenes look at the newLost Synagogues of Europeexhibition and an investigation of the Museum's own historic house of worship, the 1887 Eldridge Street Synagogue.
About the Museum at Eldridge Street
The Museum at Eldridge Street, a non-sectarian cultural organization in Lower Manhattan, preserves and interprets the historic 1887 Eldridge Street Synagogue, a magnificent National Historic Landmark that has been meticulously restored. Exhibits, tours, cultural events and educational programs tell the story of Jewish immigrant life at the turn of the last century, explore architecture and historic preservation, inspire reflection on cultural continuity, and foster inter-group collaboration and exchange.
To learn more visit eldridgestreet.org.
Museum at Eldridge Street Hours and Admission
The Museum at Eldridge Street is open Sunday through Thursday from 10 am to 5 pm and Friday from 10 am to 3 pm. Admission is $14 adults; $10 students and seniors, $8 children 5-17; free for children less than 5 years of age. Mondays are Pay What You Wish. Entrance to the Lost Synagogues of Europe is included with Museum admission. For more information, visit eldridgestreet.org or call 212-219-0302. Please check the Museum's website for holiday closings.
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